Three former high-ranking FBI agents are suing Director Kash Patel in a suit seeking reinstatements to their posts, saying they were fired as part of a retribution campaign directed by highest levels of the Trump administration.

Brian Driscoll, who served as acting director before Patel was confirmed, rebuffed early requests to turn over a list of all agents who worked on Jan. 6 cases. He was fired in August, as was Steve Jensen, the assistant director in charge of the Washington field office, and Spencer Evans, the special agent in charge of the Las Vegas field office.

The 68-page suit alleges Patel and others “initiated a campaign of retribution against Plaintiffs for what Defendants deemed to be a failure to demonstrate sufficient political loyalty.”

“His decision to do so degraded the country’s national security by firing three of the FBI’s most experienced operational leaders, each of them experts in preventing terrorism and reducing violent crime,” the suit states.

The suit also alleges the firings appear to have been ordered by people higher up in the the Trump administration. Driscoll in the suit said Patel failed to dispute that characterization in a conversation the two had, during which Patel said he knew the firings were likely illegal.

“Patel explained that he had to fire the people his superiors told him to fire, because his ability to keep his own job depended on the removal of the agents who worked on cases involving the President,” the suit says, recounting a conversation between the two men just days before the firings.

Patel explained that there was nothing he or Driscoll could do to stop these or any other firings, because “the FBI tried to put the President in jail and he hasn’t forgotten it.” Driscoll indicated his belief that Patel’s reference to his superiors meant the Justice Department and the White House, and Patel did not deny it.

“When Driscoll explained that firing employees based on case assignments would be in direct violation of internal FBI processes meant to adjudicate adverse actions and prevent retaliation based on case assignments, Patel said that he understood that and he knew the nature of the summary firings were likely illegal and that he could be sued and later deposed,” the suit added.

The FBI declined to comment on the suit.

—Updated at 2:38 p.m. EDT